How our primaries are being 'cheated'

Children in London are losing out on thousands of pounds that should be spent on their primary schools, figures reveal today.

Headteachers are naming councils whose primary school spending is less than the amount ministers recommend.

More than a third of councils in England spend less than they should on primary schools, says the National Association of Headteachers. More than half the 55 authorities named are in London and the South-East.

The data comes from councils' school spending plans for 2004/05. Brent, Islington and Redbridge have the biggest gaps between actual and recommended spending.

Brent will register an eight per cent underspend this year - equivalent to £47,800 off the budget of a 200-pupil primary school. Islington's underspend is worth £47,200 for a similar school. Redbridge's shortfall will be £37,200.

A Brent council spokeswoman said: "Our spending per primary school pupil is higher than a number of other boroughs."